On June 21, 2019, the Government of Canada announced that it was implementing/imposing economic sanctions against nine Nicaraguan officials in response to ongoing gross and systematic human rights violations by the Government of Nicaragua. The economic sanctions and trade restrictions were imposed under the Special Economic Measures Act.  Similar sanctions were imposed by the

On November 3, 2017, Canada announced sanctions and published three lists of names under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law) (a.k.a Canada’s Magnitsky Act) imposing sanctions against 52 individuals from Russian, Venezuela and South Sudan.  The Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law) received

Canada

On September 22, 2017, Canada did something it has not done in a while – Canada imposed unilateral economic sanctions and asset freezes against 40 officials in the Venezuelan Maduro regime.  A new list of designated persons (Canada’s term for sanctioned persons) was publicly releases – the persons against whom the unilateral economic sanctions,

smiley-vector-illustration-puzzled_X1AqT-_LI am often asked why export controls and economic sanctions are important.  The simple answer is that if you export a controlled good or export goods to a sanctioned country, your company could become front page news.  If that should happen because your company manufactured and sold goods that are used to kill a Canadian

Businessman with World Map Globe.

On June 8, 2016, Canada’s House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development announced that it would be undertaking a review of the Special Economic Measures Act and the Freezing of Assets of Corrupt Foreign Public Officials Act.  The announcement did not receive much press at the time. The announcement states:

Canada

Businessman with World Map Globe.

Canadian companies must be careful to not inadvertently breach Canada’s very strict sanctions against North Korea. Most Canadian companies know that almost all dealings with North Korea are either not permitted or that an export permit or ministerial authorization is required.  That is why it comes as quite a shock to learn that not

Canada

Businessman with World Map Globe.

Looking back over the last 12 months, the level of activity in the area of export controls, economic sanctions and trade restrictions in Canada is somewhat surprising.  Canada is usually rather quiet and there is not a lot to report.  The last 12 months are different and we are seeing activity at Global Affairs,

smiley-vector-illustration-puzzled_X1AqT-_LIs there a Canadian-owned company with manufacturing operations in the United Arab Emirates that is selling to sanctioned destinations goods that would be on Canada’s Export Control List if they were manufactured in Canada? It appears that the answer is “Yes”.  Does the Canadian Government believe that the sales are legal under Canada’s current economic